Acapella
by KyokoDreamer
Summary: Arthur Kirkland is the biggest Alfred F Jones fan in the entire world as he is proud to declare. When he discovers the singer is coming to London he sets out to meet him, but sometimes your heroes can't live up to your expectations, but of course, other times, they're pitch perfect! Teen!USUK, Real World AU
1. Chapter 1 - Wannabe A Star

**Hey everybody! Here's another healthy dose of USUK for you, I hope you enjoy it! No real story behind this one, except that it came to me today listening to my Alex Day collection! This story sees Alfred as a teen pop-rock sensation and Arthur as a big fan, which I guess you probably got from the description. ^^ As Alex is the inspiration behind this, I decided that his songs would be Alfred's as I think they'd have a very similar style and theme to one another. If anyone is particularly offended by my use of his music, I am happy to write my own for it, but I just think it's nice to have something to associate with? So, by way of disclaimer:**

**I do not own 'Wannabe A Star' by Alex Day, and here's a link to the song, which can be purchased on iTunes: **** watch?v=M9BS6hZ6qoM**

**The final thing I feel I should point out is that a capella is supposed to be two words but I've turned it into one because I'm a rebel. XP See you soon! Please read and review if you have the time! Love Lucy xxx**

* * *

Acapella

Chapter 1 - Wannabe A Star

"_Take me~_

_Take me out tonight,_

_Take me out alive…"_

The boy on stage kept the microphone close to his lips, just whispering those words and allowing the dynamics to do the rest. The sound wasn't explicitly loud, but the audience were silent, desperate to absorb every syllable of every line he sung.

"_Break me~_

_Break me for my art,_

_Break me into a star…"_

People mouthed the words along with him, their gazes directed only at him, ignoring others around them, ignoring every rustle, every breath, and every movement. They were not aware of everybody else, that's what it seemed like, and neither was Arthur Kirkland. In that moment, they were all unified in the same belief - each and every one of them shared this fantasy, the dream that it was just them there with _him_. Alfred F Jones, the one their hearts beat solely for.

His voice got a little louder now, and they all waited with bated breath for what they knew to be coming. The earth-shattering crescendo of the moment the song reached its peak. _"'Cause there's a world of fame so close it's burning me, _

_Push me to my limits, I can stand any…"_

With every line it got closer and every fan seemed to be subliminally pushing closer, desperate to get that little bit nearer to him. He reciprocated this, moving forward to the edge of the stage.

"_I'll sing until you scream,_

_I'm begging on my knees,_

_I promise not to eat, _

_Just give me what I need,"_

There was something in his voice that was just electrifying and overpowering. It was enchanting and corrupting, it was all anybody in that crowd could think about. It ran through their minds every minute of every hour of every day. All the time, a constant presence, lingering in whatever they did.

"_I wanna be a star,_

_I wanna be a star,_

_I wanna be a star,_

_I wanna be a star…!"_

Those words sung with such drive and bare lust, it was as though he had taken a heart and opened it, letting the words fly free and gather together, soaring higher and higher until they burst through the clouds with a deafening roar…!

… And here it came!

"_Woaaaaah~!_

_Woaaaaah~!_

_Woaaaaah~!_

_Woaaaaah~!"_

The beat accelerated, every amp seemingly cranked up to what seemed like five hundred, shattering windows and causing the ground to pulse and swell, every hole filled with the music so that it spilled out, pouring all over the world.

This only spurred on the singer, his mouth twitching into that all-too-familiar grin that caused everyone who saw it to fall helplessly in love with him.

"_Tell me~_

_Tell me how to dress,_

_Tell me I'm a mess…"_

He raked a hand through his dirty blonde hair, staring down at them all as he paced further towards them. He bent low to the stage, outstretching a hand and running it along those that the girls at the front were frantically offering up. Just the brush of his fingers was enough to cause them to sway dramatically as though they were going to collapse, and Arthur felt himself fill with envy, pressing forward and reaching up as far as he could.

As well as touching his hands, those beautiful talented hands, those girls had also indirectly touched his hair. He wondered if their skin could somehow pick up a fragment of how soft and sleek it was, the scent of his shampoo… He reached further, then put his hand back down embarrassed.

"_Tell me~_

_Tell me when I'm done, _

_So I can carry on…"_

The last note reverberated surreally, every man playing an instrument behind him joining in, before leaving his raw and yet perfect voice to complete the next lines.

"_I'll sing until you scream, _

_I'm begging on my knees, _

_I promise not to eat, _

_Just give me what I need,"_

And suddenly the area was alive with the voices of a million fans, echoing out his words, screaming until their throats were positively dry.

"_I wanna be a star,_

_I wanna be a star,_

_I wanna be a star,_

_I wanna be a star!"_

And then he was in front of him, those deep blue eyes conveying a thousand emotions and promising everything and anything if he just looked into them long enough. He bit his lower lip sexily, just maintaining that dramatic stare-off, and Arthur felt his heart stop.

"_Woaaaaah~!_

_Woaaaaah~!_

_Woaaaaah~!_

_Woaaaaah~!"_

Arthur sung until he could barely breathe, louder than he ever had in his life, ignoring the disapproving looks around him until he heard the quiet cough from the Japanese boy beside him, causing him to lower his voice somewhat.

He couldn't control himself the more the song continued though and he knew that he ought to try to just relax a bit. It was just all so incredible and exhilarating. Alfred F Jones, up close, winking and grinning at him, laughing and singing and dancing! It was unbelievable, it was… Perfect.

"_I'll sing until you scream, _

_I'm begging on my knees,_

_I promise not to eat, _

_Just give me what I need,_

_I wanna be a star,_

_I wanna be a star,_

_I wanna be a star,_

_I wanna be a star…!"_

And in a flash he was done. He stood firmly rooted on the stage, head back and microphone raised from belting out the last lines as loud as his voice would let him. He swung his head down, hair flopping with the motion and he laughed, clapping his hands together, ignoring the slight booming effect it had on the mic.

"Thank you everybody! I love you guys!"

The crowd were wild, their enthusiasm unable to be contained as they professed their love for him with every fibre of their being. They screamed at him, begging and clamouring for more and Arthur joined them. He gave a low sigh of defeat when the credits rolled and the lights went up in the theatre, pushing his 3-D glasses off of the bridge of his nose irritably.

"Want… More Alfred…" he groaned, swinging his head around to see the rather bemused looking face of his friend Kiku.

The boy looked a little flustered as the girls who'd been reacting the same way as Arthur left the theatre as miserably as his companion looked, but also buzzing from the adrenalin and singing whichever song had had the biggest effect on them, or an accumulation of all of them. Arthur was no different, his head on the verge of exploding from all the music in his head, and in the front of his mind that captivating grin and those intense eyes.

As they made their way down the steps, Arthur couldn't stop speaking, his words and thoughts a blur. "Ohh, it was amazing! I couldn't believe it, could you? The way he- And I mean, just-! It was so…!" He let out a guttural moan as a way of conveying his feelings, bringing the ticket stub to his lips and kissing it over and over, directly onto the words:

'_Alfred F. Jones: The 3-D Concert Movie'_

_Rating; U [Universal - Suitable For All]_

_(Theatre 5, Row F, Seat 16)_

Kiku thought it was nice that Arthur had a side like this, one that he let so few people see, he just wished that when it was let free, it could be reigned in a little more.

"I loved it so much! Best birthday ever! Thank you for taking me, I didn't want to go by myself again!"

He smiled, "You're welcome. Happy birthday Arthur."

"Thank you! And thank you, Alfred, my love!" He spun around, blowing a kiss to the huge image of the pop-rock sensation that was projected onto the screen.

Kiku opened the exit door in quiet exasperation, just in time for the pair to hear the final voiceover for the credits.

"And see Alfred F. Jones, in his 'Kickin' It Hero Style World Tour', now showing in London on the following dates…"

Arthur sprinted back around the corner, looking up wide-eyed for the words yet to appear on the screen.

_ Saturday May 4__th_

_ Saturday May 11__th_

_ Sunday May 12__th_

"Kiku!" he exclaimed, "Do you know what this means?!"

"Arthur," he began, trying to think of a polite way to say 'There's no way in hell I'm taking you to see this guy in concert'.

"Today is April 23rd, my birthday, and May 4th, the first concert date, is only 11 days later!" he paused for breath, repeating "Do you know that this means?!"

Kiku looked terrified. "No, I'm afraid I do not…!"

"Al says he always arrives two weeks in the next tour spot two weeks before the first show, so that he has time to set up and rehearse! That means he's in London!"

His friend's eyes widened in a mixture of confusion and fear. Arthur really was letting his obsessive side run free today and he was worried about what this would lead to.

"I _have _to meet him, Kiku."

"This is-"

"I _have _to."

Having known the Brit as long as he had, Kiku knew that he meant every word he said. He regretted trying to do something nice and taking Arthur to see the new Alfred movie for the fourth time, and he knew that Alfred himself would soon regret ever singing even one note, because Arthur Kirkland did not give up. And even more worrying, Arthur Kirkland loved that boy more than anything.


	2. Chapter 2 - I've Got What It Takes

**Hey everybody! The overnight response to this has been fantastic, thank you so much all of you! I really enjoyed hearing about some of your concert experiences as well, and I think we can all relate to that fanatic obsession that comes with seeing our favourite artists! I hope you all continue to enjoy this story. ^^ One thing to clarify - there is no age gap between Alfred and Arthur in this story because I feel like it would throw off the dynamic somewhat, so aside from the three month or so difference, they are both around eighteen. **

**Once again, I do not own 'I've Got What It Takes' by Alex Day. The official video can be seen here ( watch?v=YQsMkNlLMUw) and the song can be purchased on iTunes! ^^**

**As always, please read and review if you have the time! Love Lucy xxx**

* * *

Acapella

Chapter 2 - I've Got What It Takes

_There are so many souls who don't follow their dreams,_

_Ignoring their passions makes no sense to me,_

_I could lie or waste time to follow the seasons,_

_But I think I'd regret it when I fall asleep…_

Arthur led the way up the path to the front door of his house. Well, his floor of the house. Upon deciding on a private sixth form in London, fairly far away from his home in Surrey, he believed it would be more sensible to find his own place to stay for at least the next year or two. He guessed that he would be lucky to find even a room in the bustling city but was pleasantly surprised, landing an entire floor of a converted house near the school.

He had a kind landlady, who occupied the top floor, and had decided to rent her house out following the death of her husband three years ago. She was kind to him and he was respectful to her and so their relationship was one built on mutual trust, with no arguments under that roof. Well, aside from those between Arthur and his current "guest".

Francis Bonnefoy was one of his oldest friends, and the bane of his life. Having originally struck up a friendship with Arthur's older brother Scott, when the latter became irritated by him, he gleaned to shift the source of his anger onto his younger sibling. It had happened all throughout their childhood - a broken iPod, a badly behaved dog, and now Francis, who was worse than any of the above. When the Frenchman got kicked out of the community dorms, Arthur found himself with a new roommate… Who appeared to never be leaving.

Arthur reached into his pocket and swore loudly when he found that he didn't have his keys. "Great." he turned to Kiku grumpily, "Now we have to engage in conversation with weird beard." He still wore a smile, giddy from the film just hours ago. He knocked loudly, "Francis! It's Arthur!"

Footsteps could be heard and then the door unlocked. "Oh Arthur, such a shame it is you. I was quite hoping that it would be the lovely Joan back from Asda…" He wore a pout.

"She's sixty five, you pervert."

"But you must admit, she's very spritely."

Arthur scowled and moved past him, encouraging Kiku in who gave a weak smile to Francis.

"That must have been some movie."

"What?"

"Well, it's been-" Francis glanced down at the phone in his hand, "At least two minutes and you've insulted me but once. How was Mr Jones?"

Arthur couldn't hold back his smile then, "Extraordinary." He stated passionately.

"Wow… Going to go up the shrine, then?"

"Shut up Francis." He glared at him again, "Never forget you're just a guest here. I want you out by Christmas!" He ranted, stomping off to his room, followed by the Japanese man.

"You said that last year!" Francis called after him.

"Shut up Francis!" he repeated.

_I don't have superpowers, there's no magic spell,_

_But I remain faithful for things to go well,_

_I'm not looking for miracles, at least for today,_

_I know I've got what it takes…_

Alfred F. Jones placed his microphone back onto the stand, exchanging fist-pounds and high-fives with the musicians behind him, before jumping off the worn black stage towards his manager who beamed at him from the seating.

"Hey." he greeted her, panting a little, still out of breath from performing.

"Alfred~! Honey-baby-sweetie, that was amazing~!"

"But-?" he smiled awkwardly. Whenever Elizabeta began stacking terms of endearment, he knew that there was no happy ending to follow.

"How'd you know?" she grimaced, not waiting for the reply, "Well, we may have to stay in England a little longer than planned…"

Alfred laughed, relieved. "Dude, don't worry about that! England's pretty cool, and it would be good to have a little more time off… I will be getting time off, right?"

A smile played around her lips, "I'm sure we can come to some sort of arrangement."

"Awesome! I love ya Lizzie!"

"And I love you!" She wrapped an arm around his neck, very near strangling him, but he didn't notice as he was so busy doing the same back. They walked through the backstage passages and into his dressing room, making meaningless conversation about whatever came to mind, before she suddenly said "Actually, I do have something important to talk to you about."

"Uh-oh."

"Oh shut up you, this is important!"

He pulled out a chair and sat down with his arms folded under his chin on the top of its back. She ignored how much she wished he could sit forward-facing on chairs like anybody normal and took a seat on the couch, switching quickly from 'big-sister' to 'harsh-manager' mode.

"Bachelorettes."

"What?"

"Come on, you know what I mean."

He looked blank, "No I literally have no idea what that word means."

She sighed disparagingly. "Look honey, you've been single… Well, forever. And you're not a kid any more. I think it's time."

"So I can date?" Alfred still appeared to be fairly confused but intrigued, as if now that he grasped the point, he'd become confused as to where she was going with it.

She raised one eyebrow suggestively, winking, "More than that - you can date other celebrities. And I have just the candidate." Elizabeta reached into her purse, pulling out a file that had a glossy headshot taped to the front.

He recognised the face instantly. "Lili Zwingli?"

She nodded, seeing his disappointment. "Oh come on Al, she's gorgeous. Such a cutie, and she's real sweet. And that manager of hers is a fox…"

"That's her brother. And I'm pretty sure there's some incest going on there somewhere."

"Alfred!" She tried scolding him but giggled in spite of herself, "Well, they do look pretty cozy in the photos I suppose…"

"Seriously though," he continued, "We're nothing alike. I just can't see us getting along… And besides-" He stopped awkwardly, deciding not to finish the sentence.

_And it's hard when you start and it's never at ease_

_The stars are so far but they'll always be seen_

_I can't pretend I just make things for no rhyme or reason_

_But boy the works worth it when I fall asleep… _

He scratched the nape of his neck thoughtfully, deciding he needed to do something fast. "Uhhh, Liz?"

The woman across from him had begun rifling through her bag again, pulling out more files with faces that left his mind as quickly as they ran through it. She looked up, hearing him talk. "Yeah?" Seeing her kind expression gave him more confidence.

"Got any… guys in that pile?"

"Oh…" She looked touched, "Alfred, sweetie. That's so thoughtful of you. But honestly, you don't need to 'come out'," She gestured inverted commas with her hands, "just to increase publicity. You're doing amazing already. Let me worry about the press, okay? What's a manager for, huh?"

She just didn't get it. He sighed resignedly, faking a laugh. "Yeah, you're the best."

"Now come on, have a look through these…"

_I don't have superpowers, there's no magic spell,_

_But I remain faithful for things to go well,_

_I'm not looking for miracles, at least for today,_

_I know I've got what it takes…_

Arthur opened his bedroom door, striding through pronouncedly. It always took a few moments for Kiku to adjust to Arthur's room before he could comfortably walk through. The floor was a cornflower blue carpet, perfectly matched to a paler blue paint on the walls. It seemed like the kind of décor that would naturally be in the house and this didn't bother him at all. No, it was more Arthur's personal touches that terrified him. And his personal touches were many…

Lining every wall were dozens of pictures of Alfred F. Jones. The boy was completely obsessed - fan art, magazine clippings, official photographs, several possibly genuine autographed pictures bought online, and a vast oil painting that Arthur had commissioned from an Art student who was a mutual friend, under the premise that it was for his sister… The sister he didn't actually have.

After his eyes adjusted to the amount of copies of one face in that room, Kiku was able to enter and sat down on the end of the bed as Arthur paced the room thoughtfully.

"Okay. Now to planning."

"Planning?" he questioned worriedly.

Arthur clutched his iPhone in his palm and scrolled through pages, reading quickly and fixedly. "Okay, it says here that Alfred is playing at the Carlton Woodcroft Lodge, which of course makes perfect sense."

Kiku nodded by way of response. The Carlton Woodcroft Lodge was among the most famous venues in London. From its original commission in the 1700s, it had been a theatre, and also a source of lodging for its performers with the entire upper floor as a makeshift inn. Actors would flock there, begging for roles because a job at the Woodcroft Lodge meant you were made for at least a few years - food, clothes and housing was provided for what was essentially an easy gig. When the Woodcroft became a victim of unexplained arson during the summer of 1998, the Carlton media empire bought up the lot, reconstructing a building there befitting of the Woodcroft's glory. They later took down a few buildings surrounding it, expanding until the new Carlton Woodcroft Lodge was the place to play. However, it remained exclusive and highly selective - if anyone was playing in the Carlton Woodcroft, they were a somebody. It did indeed make perfect sense that that would be where Alfred ended up, rather than the mainstream O2 Arena nearby.

"Now that we know the venue… How do we get in?"

He gulped, "We?"

"You're not coming?" He actually looked crushed for a moment to the point where his friend wanted to reconsider but he knew that he ought to stand tall.

"Arthur, I do not even enjoy the music-" He regretted his words instantly as the most frightening look he had ever seen became directed towards him.

"Fine." he replied lowly, "I'll go by myself. But I will go, Kiku." He glanced up at one of the posters - celebrating the official release of a new single - "'I've Got What It Takes' after all."

_There's no end in sight,_

_So I'll take my time,_

_Crossing the line,_

_I'll keep holding on,_

_I'll keep singing this song…_

_I know I've got what it takes…_

_I know I've got what it takes…_


End file.
